Hydraulic couplings



F. M. THOMSON ETAL 3,402,554

' HYDRAULIC COUPLINGS Sept. 24, 1968 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22, 1966 In venlors F/Mm v Me flow/n0 Hana-aw JAM: DIN-61.513 P004 A tlorn eys P 24, 1968 F. M. THOMSON ETAL' 3,402,554

HYDRAULIC COUPLINGS Z5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1966 I nvenlors Fuvlnv Meflmwuo Timurau JAM, D0101. raw Pal/L Attorneys Sept. 24, 1968 F. M. THOMSON ETAL- 3,

' HYDRAULIC COUPLINGS Filed Aug. 22, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 In uenlors Attorneys United States Patent 3,402,554 HYDRAULIC COUPLINGS Finlay M. Thomson, Dumbarton, and James D. Paul, Alexandria, England, assignors to Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, a British company Filed Aug. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 574,003 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 1, 1965, 37,276/ 65 7 Claims. (Cl. 6054) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a hydraulic coupling having a number of peripherally spaced oil discharge ports, oil discharge through said ports is controlled by a corresponding number of valves of the sliding-plate type, the valves being manufactured each as a complete unit and being detachably mounted one at each discharge port. The slide plates of the valves are connected one to each of a corresponding number of flexible cable drives which extend radially inwards of the coupling to a control mechanism which includes a corresponding number of change-motion linkage devices the outputs of which move radially and are connected respectively to the flexible cables and the inputs of which move axially and are engaged by a common axially movable pressure plate mounted on the coupling for rotation therewith about the axis of the coupling.

This invention relates to a rotary machine having an impeller, a turbine and a rotatable casing and in which the casing may contain a medium which may be driven by the impeller and passed to the turbine to drive same; the path of the medium is termed the flow path which is usually vortex flow. Examples of such a machine are hydraulic couplings and torque converters.

The medium which is generally used is oil, but other substantially incompressible fluid mediae may be used and the fluid medium may be a dry fluid for example powder or granular material.

According to the present invention there is provided a rotary machine having an impeller, a turbine, a rotatable casing having a wall surrounding the impeller and the turbine and for containing a substantially incompressible fluid medium which may, when introduced into the casing, be driven by the impeller and passed to the turbine to drive same, means defining an aperture in the periphery of the casing wall for the discharge through said aperture of fluid medium from within the casing, and valve means co-operating with the aperture and selectively operable so as to permit discharge and to prevent discharge through said aperture of fluid medium from within the casing, said valve means comprising a valve body detachably secured to the casing wall and having a valve port in registration with the said aperture, and a,

valve member slidably received in the valve body and movable relative thereto in one direction to open progressively the valve and in the opposite direction to close progressively the valve.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is .a sectional side view of part of a hydraulic coupling according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional end elevation of part of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view corresponding to part of FIG. 1 of components not shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of part of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 is a sectional end elevation of a further part of FIG. 1.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, a hydraulic coupling has a rotatable casing 1 enclosing an impeller (not shown) and a turbine (not shown) and having a plurality of, in this case four, oil discharge outlets 2 spaced round the periphery 1A of the casing 1. The exhaust flow of oil through each outlet 2 is controlled by a slide valve 3, and as the valves 3 are identical, only one is described.

Each valve 3 is bolted to the casing 1 and comprises a base plate 4 attached to the casing 1 and having a valve port in the form of an aperture 5 which registers with the oil outlet 2, a slide plate 6 centrally positioned and slidable on the base plate 4; the slide plate 6 having an aperture 7 which can register with the outlet 2, either partially or wholly, to control the exhaust of oil from the easing 1. The valve also has a U-shaped cover plate 8 which forms the top cover and this is bolted to the casing 1. The top cover has a slot 9 in which the slide plate 6 may slide, the top cover 8 and slide plate 6 being separated by needle roller bearings 10. The slide plate 6 is normally in the outlet-closed position, but when positioned to register with the outlet 2, the aperture 7 also registers with an opening 1.1 between the limbs of the U-shaped top cover 8, and allows exhausting of oil from within the casing 1.

Control of movement of the slide plate 6 is by a Bowden or Morse type flexible cable drive 12, the inner member 13 thereof being secured to the slide plate 6 and the outer member 14 abutting a lug 15 bolted to the casing 1 adjacent the valve 3. The slide plate 6 is biased to the closed position by a compression spring 16 acting between the slide plate .6 and the lug 15.

The flexible cables 12 pass, from the valves 3, radially inwards through suitable guide brakets 17, 18. Near the axis of rotation 19 of the hydraulic coupling, each cable member .13 is attached to a slide rod or plunger 20 slidable radially with respect to the axis, in a body 21 attached to the end wall of the casing. The plunger 20 has a cross-piece 22 normal thereto which extends through slots 23 in the body 21 and adjacent ends of a parallel arm link 24 are pivotally attached to the cross-piece 22. The other ends of the parellel arm link 24 are pivotally attached to a pressure plate 25 comprising two rings 26, 27 bolted together and spaced apart by spacers 28 sleeved on joining bolts 29. Each link 24 extends generally radially with respect to the coupling axis 19, and is inclined at an angle 0 to the axis 19 when the valve slides 6 are in the closed position.

The pressure plate 25 is provided with guide rods 30 slidable in bearings 31 in the casing 1, so that the pressure plate 25 may slide axially of the coupling. For the purpose of moving the pressure plate 25, there is provided a manually operable control rod 32, slidable axially of the coupling and having a cam follower 33 attached thereto and located between the rings 26, 27 of the pressure plate 25. Preferably, there are three control rods 32 disposed apart.

The manner of controlling the exhaust of oil from the hydraulic coupling is as follows: In the normal position, the outlets 2 are closed by the slide plates 6 under the action of the compression springs 16. In order to partially or completely open the outlets 2, the manually operable control rod 32 is pulled thereby causing the pressure plate 25' to be moved axially to decrease the angle 0. This in turn effects pulling of the flexible cable members 13 whereupon the slide plates 6 are pulled against the springs 16 and the apertures 7 are brought gradually into line with the oil outlets 2. As pulling continues more and more oil can escape from the casing 1 and the coupling is more quickly exhausted. By providing an inclined link 24 which converts axial movement into radial movement a sensi- 3 I live control of the exhausting of fluid is attained in that the rate of outlet opening increases as the angle decreases.

By providing individual valves 3, a saving in material, manufacturing and fitting costs may be achieved compared, for example, with previously proposed machines employing a ring-type valve, and by leading the Bowden type flexible cables towards the centre of the coupling, the arrangement is simplified over the previously known constructions, and by providing the compression spring 16, a fail to close advantage is obtained.

The control rod 32 may be operated by mechanical, hydraulic or electrical means and in a preferred form, a closed circuit hydraulic circuit would be used.

Because of the inclination of the links 24, centrifugal effects of the flexible cables 12 are reduced in terms of the pull on the pressure plate 25 to overcome them.

Hydraulic couplings are mainly used in marine propulsion, but could, of course, have land applications. The invention may be applied to torque converters.

It will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims; for example, the Bowden type flexible cables may be routed radially inwards along either side of the outer surface of the coupling and the pressure plate may be supported for axial movement relative to the coupling on a sleeve instead of on guide rods 30 as above described.

We claim:

1. A rotary machine having an impeller, a turbine, a rotatable casing having a wall surrounding the impeller and the turbine and for containing a substantially incompressible fluid medium which may, when introduced into the casing, be driven by the impeller and passed to the turbine to drive same, means defining an aperture in the periphery of the casing wall for the discharge through said aperture of fluid medium from Within the casing, and valve means co-operating with the aperture and selectively operable so as to permit discharge and to prevent discharge through said aperture of fluid medium from within the casing, said valve means comprising a valve body detachably secured to the casing wall and having a valve port in registration with the said aperture, and a valve member slidably received in the valve body and movable relative thereto in one direction to open progressively the valve and in the opposite direction to close progressively the valve.

2. A rotary machine according to claim 1, wherein the said valve member is movable axially in relation to the axis of rotation of the machine.

3. A rotary machine according to claim 1, wherein the said valve body comprises a base plate having means defining an aperture therethrough, said aperture being said valve port, and a cover plate arranged in opposed spaced parallel relationship with the base plate and having means defining an opening for the discharge through said opening of fluid medium from within the said casing, and the said valve member comprises an apertured slide plate located between the base plate and the cover plate and in sliding engagement with the base plate.

4. A rotary machine according to claim 3 including roller bearings interposed between the slide plate and the cover plate.

5. A rotary machine according to claim 1, wherein the said valve means is selectively operable by means of a control mechanism comprising a pressure plate mounted on the casing for rotation therewith and so as to be capable of axial sliding movement relative thereto, a linkage device having an input member connected to the pressure plate for axial movement therewith and an output member which moves radially upon axial movement of the pressure plate, and means connecting the said output member to the said valve member so that movement of the said output member effects movement of the said valve member.

6. A rotary machine according to claim 5, wherein said connecting means comprises a flexible cable drive.

7. A rotary machine according to claim 5, wherein said linkage device comprises a plunger which is said output member, a body secured to said casing and having means defining a bore in which said plunger is slidable, a cross-piece carried by said plunger, and a link, which is said input member, connected at one end to said crosspiece and at the other end to the pressure plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,860,701 5/1932. Bauer et al. -54 2,024,842 12/1935 Bauer et al. 60-54 EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner. 

